The oxidation of a polycrystalline Rh foil, containing plenty grains with different crystallographic orientation, was examined by Scanning Photoelectron Microscopy (SPEM) at Elettra Synchrotron Trieste, yielding an “oxidation map”. The effect of the different extent of Rh oxidation on catalytic H2/O2 reaction was then studied in the lab by in situ Photoemission Electron Microscopy (PEEM), yielding an “activity map”. The correleation of both data allows to understand the specific activity of specific structures. This work was recently published in Nature Communications.
TU Press Release: https://www.tuwien.at/tu-wien/aktuelles/news/news/katalysatoren-ein-genauerer-blick-lohnt-sich, opens an external URL in a new window
Original paper: P. Winkler et al., How the anisotropy of surface oxide formation influences the transient activity of a surface reaction, Nature Communications 12, 69 (2021).
link to https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-20377-9, opens an external URL in a new window